Category: Uncategorized (Page 33 of 39)

Springtime for boomers

04/11/2016 /

Spring is here, and summer’s a heartbeat away.   Everyone’s looking forward to warm sunshine, cool evenings, barbecues, and vacations. Finally, you will be able to store the baggy sweat pants and fleece jackets and opt for short-sleeved shirts, shorts, and sandals.

Or will you? Does the thought of that make you wince?

Body image. It’s a touchy subject, especially as we get older. In our minds, (or at least in mine), we are permanently 38-46 years old, and a new pair of shorts or sandals is very appealing. It reminds us of picnics, baseball, and fresh green grass.

Then it happens…we look at ourselves in the mirror and wonder…

What happened to my legs?

 Why are there so many strange spots on my skin?

 Can I wear these clothes without everyone staring?

 And my feet…my toes didn’t used to look like this…are sandals impossible?

IMG_0130And don’t even bring up swimwear. Male or female, we often spend too much time before a mirror playing our least favorite game of hesitate and debate. Can I?  Should I?  Will I?

What if we all decided we are just okay, that we have earned every wrinkle, stretch mark, and hammer toe. We don’t live in Hollywood (at least not most of us) and we don’t have a makeup crew ready to make sure we look our most fabulous self every time we step out the door.

We’re real people. We’re over 50. And we’re hitting the beach!

Having a negative body image is more than annoying. It can hurt our health. It can lead to depression and anxiety. It can make us want to cut off interactions with others, whether it’s a day at the beach or going to the gym or any other activity that puts us around others. It can lead to eating disorders.

Maybe it’s finally time to toss out the idea that there is one ideal weight, shape, skin color, or hair color for everyone—we’re a mixed basket, which makes life wonderful. And that’s true for men as well as women.

What’s really hard is when you heard negative comments about your body when you were growing up. I think those are some of the deepest wounds and they can take a lifetime to heal. Even if you look in the mirror now and know that you’ve changed, and you’re no longer that child with thick glasses or braces or whatever your pain point was, you can still feel that way when you walk through a crowded room or enter a family reunion.

But we really aren’t the same…we’re older, wiser, and we know our true beauty, talent, and value lies within. We’ve learned exterior looks are fleeting. And we’ve probably seen many former classmates who were “most likely to” fall far short from their much heralded potential. (And while we’re not supposed to enjoy that, it can be hard not to sometimes.)

Maybe it comes down to rebooting our thinking.

168HSome studies show that when people focus simply on changes in eating and activity, and NOT on weight or size, they achieve much greater and long-lasting results. They start to feel better. They are healthier. They’re not running to the scales every day or staying inside when everyone else is heading to the pool.

They also do not compare themselves to others, and they spend more time with people who approach food and activity in a positive way. They talk to their children and grandchildren about loving themselves and not letting television or the movies convince them they should have different hair or noses or other body parts.

And maybe most importantly, they talk to themselves differently.

No more of this critical talk in front of a mirror.   You wouldn’t say these things to a friend. Why would you say it to yourself?

Granted, staying physically fit and active is so important to a long and healthy life.  Try tai chi.  Do some yoga.  Walk around a track.  If there’s a gym like Welcyon (for people 50 and better) in your area, drop by and see what they’re doing.  Don’t let the couch become your best friend.  But through it it all, don’t think you have to hide your gray hair or your wrinkles.

More and more, we hear and see boomers and beyond embrace who they are and live their lives with full gusto. It can be as simple as going sleeveless. Putting on a bathing suit. Brushing their hair and celebrating the white patches.

Donning bicycle shorts and taking that hill (no one, of any age, looks good in those anyway).

Spring is a time for everything to reach up to the sun and celebrate life. And that includes us!

“If you can’t make it better, you can laugh at it.”

            Erma Bombeck

Maybe we’re okay as is.

04/04/2016 /

It’s the start of the week, the month, and maybe a brand new season. We can look at it with anticipation and joy, or we can feel overwhelmed and even frightened.

Why can’t we get out of neutral and do the things we keep saying we will do? What if the months pass and we’re still just sitting here? Why does it seem like everyone else is making progress?

But then again, why don’t we boomers and beyond give ourselves a break?

Where is this critical voice coming from—the one that keeps saying we need to improve, to change ourselves, to transform our personalities into a lotus flower?

What if, for a moment, we considered how perfect we really are. What a miracle we are.

Swan_2That maybe what is inside of us is just okay. That instead of hitting ourselves in the head with a block of wood, we should nurture our inner self and celebrate our spirit?

In other words, lighten up.

I like this notion. I like remembering that spirit made me and spirit lives in me. Way before teachers, preachers, or finger-pointers took hold of me, I existed. I shine. I live, breathe, and love. So maybe I’m just okay—without trying to become someone I was never meant to be.

In her book, “The Wisdom of No Escape”, Pema Chodron touches on these thoughts more than once. Her are just a few excerpts of her words:

“Loving kindness doesn’t mean getting rid of anything….we can still be crazy after all these years. We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. The point is not to try to change our selves. Mediation practice isn’t about throwing ourselves away and becoming something better. It’s about befriending who we are already…if you throw out your neurosis, you also throw out your wisdom. Someone who is very angry also has a lot of energy; that energy is what’s so juicy about him or her…the idea isn’t to try to get rid of your anger, but to make friends with it, to see it clearly with precision and honesty, and also see it with gentleness….”

See it with gentleness. What a nice thought! Turn off the voices that tell you it’s time to develop a new personality. Put down the whip. Think soft instead.

Pema also says:

“Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be cautious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will.   It’s going to stick around until you learn your lesson, at any rate. The journey of awakening—the classical journey of the mythical hero or heroine—is one of continually coming up against big challenges and then learning how to soften and open.”

file000143069688We’ve earned a little softness. We’ve endured a lifetime of struggle, pain, happiness, sadness, and just about everything else. So does it really make sense to think we’re doing it all wrong? I don’t think so.

Life is hard. So if we can be gentle, especially with ourselves, that has to be the right path. At least it’s the one I want to take.

“The purpose of life is to increase the warm heart.”

     Dalai Lama

Where did I put that list?

03/21/2016 /

DSCN1325

Okay, enough with the ridiculous security questions when you try to register on websites.

I mean, coming up with new passwords you can remember is bad enough. But these questions….seriously?

  •  “What was the street you lived on as a child?” (If you’ve lived in several cities, this is quite amusing.)
  •  “What is your favorite movie?”   (what day is it?)
  •  “What is your favorite color?” (see above…or re-watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

And my current personal favorite:

 “If you had to have a different first name, what would it be?”

??????????

I thought I was registering an account, not enrolling in the witness protection program.

Many days, my main challenge is remembering, in no particular order:

  • Where my keys are
  • Where my glasses are
  • Where my wallet is
  • Where my gym pass is
  • Where the list is I just made

And now you want me to remember what I was thinking on that special day when I registered my account online….so that things would be “easier.”

Maybe I should just start putting the same answer for every question…remember Charlie Weaver on Hollywood Squares? No matter the question, his first answer was always “Efrem Zimbalist Junior.”

(Takes you back, doesn’t it?)

It’s like that word “remind”. I love how that sounds.   Like I get to have a new brain every day. Some of the synonyms of the word “remind” are “ring a bell. Strike a chord. Hark back. Jog your memory.”

Nice. Doesn’t make me feel like an idiot because I can’t remember the color of my satchel in second grade.

Scientists tell us our brains consist of approximately one billion neurons, and these neurons work together to help us remember things. The good news is our neurons keep growing throughout our lives. And there are all kinds of memories…immediate memories, working memories, long-term memories. I’ve also read the brain operates on the same amount of power as a 10-watt light bulb.

Which explains Congress.

IMG_0273 - Version 4

Animals know how to remind us of things, like mealtimes. They just sit about 3 inches away from us and stare intently at us. Perhaps even with a bowl in the mouth. Regardless of changes in time or seasons. They know what’s important, and when things need to happen. Without logging in.

I get the need for security and protection. But the harder you make the questions, the more likely we have to write down our answers, which kind of defeats the purpose, right?

Enough of this, it’s wearing out my brain. And reminding—no, wait—harking back that I haven’t updated my passwords in a while.

Better get out the dictionary. And the aspirin.

 

 

 “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

                   The Bridgekeeper 

 

 

 

 

 

Fit After 50.

03/07/2016 /

DSCN0123Let’s talk about balance.

Not the kind that we never can achieve (balance between home, work, family, sanity), but rather the type of balance that might determine whether or not we can stay independent as we age.

Whole body balance. Balance that improves as we become physically stronger. Balance that keeps us walking straight, feeling healthy and hopefully, in our own homes as long as possible.

Why is balance so important for boomers and beyond?  Because by the time most of us hit 50, we’ve lost 15 to 20% of our strength.

Imagine. Just that statistic can explain why you’re having trouble carrying in the dog food. Or walking up the stairs with laundry. Or having to sit down to put on your pants.

Ouch.

But the good news is how quickly a healthy person in his or her 60s can gain muscle…as much as two to three pounds of muscle in six months to a year.

Here’s the catch: you have to actually get up and work out. That does not necessarily mean you have to become Mr. or Ms. Olympia, or walk into a hard-body gym and feel intimidated next to the 20-somethings in their spandex.

Thank heavens more and more places are springing up that cater to those of us 50 and over who want to get in shape and feel better, but don’t want the traditional gym experience.

One such place is Welcyon. There’s only a few so far in the country and already, response has been great.

What makes Welcyon so popular? It’s smaller, calmer, and feels more plush than a regular rec center or gym. The staff is small, knowledgeable, and welcoming. And the equipment is specially geared for a workout that while it feels smoother and easier, is actually more effective at building strength than the traditional heavy-plate method.

And best of all, it’s for 50+. Thank heavens. No flipping monster tires or hurling a sledgehammer or other activities that are too high risk.

Daniel Mason, owner of the Welcyon in Lakewood, Colorado, explains. “Our strength equipment uses air resistance, not clunky weight stacks. The result is a challenging workout that actually works you harder, but doesn’t stress your joints and ligaments like a traditional machine. With air resistance, you are working your body evenly…instead of your stronger side compensating and throwing you off balance.”

Cardio machines at Welcyon are also air-driven, so the motion is smooth and even.

But what really sets the technology of Welcyon apart is this: once you’ve been assessed by one of the center’s professional coaches and your routine is determined, all you have to do on your next visit is insert the card into a reader on the machine and you’re set to go. The equipment…lets says it’s the machine that works your abdomen…”recognizes” you and automatically sets to the correct number of pounds you are working. If there is a seat adjustment, it lists that information so you can do it quickly and easily. Of course you can raise or lower the intensity of your workout at any time…but how cool is that? Instead of walking in and trying to remember what you’ve been doing, or struggling with changing a setting, it’s all done for you.

I personally love that. I confess I’ve discovered Welcyon and am a member. And I love it. Why?

  • It’s comfortable. I like walking into an environment where mature people are focusing on feeling better and getting stronger, as opposed to competing.
  • It’s inviting. Welcyon gyms are smaller. There’s a soothing water feature. Everything is new and clean and purposeful. There’s a sitting area for socializing. The background music is very low, and it’s a surprisingly wonderful blend of boomer, big band, and a bit of classical.
  • It’s smart. Each strength machine greets you by name, sets your resistance, counts reps and adjusts your workouts, making them progressively more challenging as you improve. The ellipticals have a built-in fan (I really love that). You feel like you are making efficient use of your time when you are there.
  • It’s safe. Welcyon coaches know what they are doing and how to guide you, whether you’ve exercised your whole life, are just starting out, or are recovering from an injury. There’s a dedicated area for stretching after working out to help keep you from overdoing. There’s even an interesting balance “clock” on the floor that helps develop your all-important reflexes.
  • It’s motivating. I want to go to Welycon. I’ve worked out my whole life off and on, with personal trainers, in classes, doing just about everything…and I always liked how it made me feel, but I never particularly looked forward to going. This feels different…I like the idea of exercising around others over 50.

But this isn’t really about going to a particular gym. No matter where you live or what type of exercise experience is available, you can get stronger…it’s so important. Many recreation centers offer classes for people over 50. You could start one of your own. If nothing else, gather a few neighbors and start a brisk walking program in the neighborhood. Go by a sporting goods store and check out the free weights or kettle balls. Be careful…and start slow…but don’t just sit there…get up and get moving.

Exercise has been called the “fountain of youth” because nothing else has been proven to be as effective when it comes to enhancing our overall health and longevity. I know for me, I have fewer aches and pains when I’m regularly exercising. I sleep better. I think better. I like the feeling of being steady on my feet and knowing I can pick up something, hold my balance in Tai chi, carry a child up the stairs, etc.

You might start out saying “can I do it?”

Chances are in no time you’ll be saying “how far can I go?”

 

“I don’t care how old I live; I just want to be LIVING while I am alive!”

       Jack LaLanne

 

 

 

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